Recipes From My Kitchen

This summery Mango Avocado Salad is packed with flavours! The combination of sweet, savoury and tangy ingredients make this a refreshing and memorable summer salad and the honey vinaigrette couldn’t be easier! The combination of flavors and textures makes this a very exciting salad to eat! This salad is a winner! Mango is a fruit I actually love a lot and cant get enough! I love how meaty and filling it is, the perfect amount of sweetness and it’s ability to make a smoothie extra creamy! Mango contains an ample amount of polyphenols, compounds that are antioxidants and help protect the body against free radical damage. Mangos also contain vitamin C which helps produce collagen in the body, necessary for healthy skin, and vitamin A which keeps skin firm and healthy! Avocado plays an incredible role in improving the health of hair, skin, and nails. The power of this delicious fruit (yes avocados are a fruit!) is in the healthy fats avocados contain. Avocados are loaded...

Don't confuse this with guacamole —there's way more depth of flavor, which makes it one of my favorite summer sides of all time. But the real beauty? You're totally welcome to eat it with chips. (Just know it tastes amazing without them.) Swap out the veggies! If you have extra veggies in the fridge that need to be used, you can totally switch up this salad. Replace the cucumber with some sautéed zucchini or add in some chopped grilled asparagus. Add in some pickled jalapeños for some spice & tang or bell peppers for a milder, sweeter crunch or give it more of a Mediterranean vibe with oregano and some feta! This flavourful tomato and avocado salad is simple, colorful and healthy too! I love avocados and tomatoes, and the two complement each other very well. Red onion tastes really well as well, but i haven't added it this time. Dress it with fresh basil, fresh lime juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes. I promise you will fee...

Being a runner and a fitness freak, I’m always on the lookout for healthy foods that are rich in nutrients, easy to make, and would serve as a good pre or post-workout snack. Salads are my favourite and I love experimenting and rustling up new salads by combining simple, yet tasty ‘health foods’ to create a quick appetizing dish! The Indian twist of adding a bit of seasoning or ‘tadka’ to the salads gives it a unique flavour that you’re sure to enjoy! Green Moong Salad is one such dish that I relish. Made by combining pre-soaked green moong, pomegranate, and cucumber, this salad is not only healthy but also visual delight due to its colourful appearance. The earthy flavour of the green moong, crunchiness of the cucumber and the sweet-tangy taste of the pomegranate is sure to be a treat for your taste buds! An excellent source of protein, green moong has a myriad of health benefits. Containing vitamins that have anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties, this legume helps...

Salads are not everyone’s favourite. The term ‘salad’ conjures up images of bland, boring & tasteless spinach & sprouts. Well not this protein packed salad! Loaded with crunchy, flavourful vegetables & delicious legumes combined with cottage cheese (paneer or tofu), this nutritious salad lightly seasoned with spices, is a great Indian go-to snack to satisfy those early evening hunger pangs and is also an excellent pre-workout snack & energy booster. Rich in dietary fiber, Vitamin B, and an apt substitute for meat, legumes are a great source of protein especially for vegetarians. Having a low glycemic index & low saturated fat, it also helps to reduce bad cholesterol and control blood sugar levels. The other main ingredients used in this salad - peanuts & paneer are also a great source of protein, healthy fat and folate, aiding in overall weight loss. This recipe does require a bit of pre-planning in terms of soaking & boiling the chickpeas, but onc...

Quinoa is the perfect ingredient to incorporate into your diet if you’re looking to make smarter food choices and lead a healthier lifestyle. Quinoa is a real superfood for many reasons. It’s a whole grain, which means that it’s packed with fiber and essential vitamins and minerals. It’s also gluten-free and easy to digest. Plus, it’s one of the few vegetarian foods that’s a complete protein, meaning that it contains all of the essential amino acids. This makes quinoa an excellent option for anyone following a plant-based diet. And for those of us who always feel rushed to get a nutritious meal on the table in the evening, the good news is that quinoa is also really easy to prepare. It only takes 15 minutes to cook! One of my tips is that I like to cook my quinoa in vegetable stock because it infuses it with great flavor. If you haven’t cooked with quinoa a lot, a good place to start would be to substitute it into any recipe that calls for rice. You can use it in salads ...

Don’t you love it when you pin something, and click on the photo, expecting to be taken to the link that will provide the recipe, then- nothing? Dud. A while back, I pinned a photo of a salad that I thought looked perfect for a summer salad. When I tried to see the link to the photo, it was a dead end. No recipe link. Oh well. I looked at the photo again, and discovered this: You don’t need to be Martha to figure this one out. All you need are: spinach, tomato, cottage cheese and about 5 minutes. This salad can be made year 'round, but is best in the summer months for a casual brunch. That said, it is also best made with tomatoes that are NOT juicy. I like to make it with cherry or grape tomatoes (simple to slice them in half, or leave them whole in the salad) so there is not an issue with the tomatoes giving off too much water and making the salad runny. Ingredients: 1 cup baby spinach, 1 medium tomato, 50 gms cottage cheese, 1/4 th cup pomegranates, Dressing: 1/...

A quick healthy salad thrown in together for lunch on a working day! Trying to get in a good dose of fibre from fresh greens has been my focus these days. Ingredients: 1 cup fresh vegetables - broccoli, colored bell peppers, green beans, cut in cubes 1/2 cup mushrooms, 1 cup fresh arugula leaves 100 grams tofu, Dressing: 1-2 tbsp mustard sauce 1 tsp honey Method:  1. Stir fry all the mixed vegetables and set aside 2. Stir fry the mushrooms and set aside. 3. Stir fry the tofu and set aside. 4. Break the arugula leaves into half. 5. In a bowl, arrange arugula leaves, stir fried vegetables and tofu. 6. Pour the mustard sauce and honey over the salad and mix well. 7. Serve lukewarm. Enjoy!!!

Carrot are an Indian winter staple. It is replete with many nutrients. A good source of Vitamin A, beta-carotene and vitamin C, carrots are incredible for your eyes, skin and immunity. They are also loaded with silicon, the beauty mineral that helps nourish your skin and nails. Carrots are also super effective in managing weight-loss. Packed with fibres, carrots help fill you up. When you feel full, you crave less and this in turn facilitates weight-loss.  Paneer or cottage cheese is an incredible source of protein. Make sure the paneer is fresh, cows milk is said to have a good amount of protein, so try to ensure that your paneer is made of cow milk. Ingredients: 1 cup  lettuce , 1 cup  baby spinach , 1/2 cup  carrots , shredded, 50 gms  paneer cubes , For Dressing: 1 tbsp  mustard sauce , 1 tbsp  red chilli sauce , 1 tbsp  honey , 1 tsp  olive oil , Salt  &  Pepper  to taste, 1 tsp toa...

The first ever Indian Food Bloggers Meet is just round the corner. The organizers Arundati , Revati , Aparna , & Nandita are working round the clock to leave no stone unturned to make this a mega successful event. Happening in Bangalore on Aug 1st and 2nd, this two day program covers a wide variety of topics right from blogging techniques to photography to food styling. The meet is supposed to be attended by enthusiastic food lovers who are good cooks, esteemed cook book writers, publishers, professional food photographers & stylists and social media activists from India and across the globe. It is really getting hot in here now. There is so much of excitement all around and everyone is running to the kitchen to cook up a storm. Yes, the organizers ensure that we are on our toes during these last few days to grab some exciting goodies.  KitchenAid India  has announced the  KitchenAid India Contest  where we need to create a recipe using plums. ...

Though there are umpteen number of recipes one can prepare this salad, I simply go with the preparation of this salad with basic ingredients. A good dash of butter gives it a beautiful lingering taste. Serves 4 Ingredients: 200 gms sweet corn , boiled, drained, 1 medium onion , sliced, 1 tsp green chillies , finely chopped, 1-2 tsp lemon juice , 1 tbsp melted butter , Salt to taste, Green coriander for garnish Method: In a bowl, mix all the ingredients together. Serve chilled. You could add small pieces of boiled chicken, egg, or shrimps. It would taste good as well. If you want to make it spicy and tangy, you could add chat masala and red chilli powder. Small variations make a big difference. This is my entry to my event Soups and Salads hosted by  Foodie In Me  and  Escapades . Read more about the event and participation details  here .

There are countless versions of a potato salad: mustardy, sweet, mayonnaise, olive oil, jalapenos, yogurt and the list goes on. However, I like it with sour cream. I love sour cream . Also you could use a variety of herbs to perk up the recipe - mint, coriander or a combination of both. I decided to use dill this time. You can get experimental with the herbs of your choice as anything will taste as good as this one with dill does. Must mention about the wine. Its delicious. A slight bitterness just at the end of very bite, makes it so drool worthy. Serves 4 Ingredients: 200 gms baby potatoes , boiled in salted water, peeled, 1/2 cup sour cream , 6-8 cloves of garlic , diced, 1 tbsp olive oil , 2-3 tbsp  white wine or vodka (optional) 1 tbsp chopped dill , Method: In a pan, heat olive oil. Add the chopped garlic and saute. Add the potatoes and saute for some time. Remove from fire and add the wine or vodka and mix well. Put it back on low flame. Be caref...

This simple chicken salad is the perfect salad for a lunch or dinner. The hard-cooked eggs give it nice flavor and texture, and the lemon juice and honey add the tang and sweetness to the salad. This is a cold salad and tastes best when chilled. Make sure you have all the ingredients refrigerated before you start. Serves 4 Ingredients: 1 cup boneless chicken , boiled, 10-12 cherry tomatoes , 3 boiled eggs , A handful of lettuce leaves , 1 tsp soya sauce , 1 tsp worcestershire sauce , 1 tsp olive oil , For the dressing: 1 tbsp honey , 1 tbsp mustard sauce , 1 tbsp lemon juice , 1 tbsp olive oil , Salt and pepper as per taste, Method: Shred the chicken into small pieces. Heat oil in a pan. Add the shredded chicken and toss well. Add the soya sauce and worcestershire sauce and mix well. Allow it to chill. Mix all the ingredients for the dressing and set it aside to chill. Cut the boiled eggs and set it aside to chill. In a serving bowl or p...

Somedays, I don't feel like cooking. And I don't prefer to order food from outside. Its just something light and filling that I want, maybe like a sandwich or a salad. I made this salad a few weeks ago, totally inspired by the Subway salad. It is so easy and quick and absolutely delicious. This also helps to keep my weight loss goals :-) Ingredients: 7-8  cherry tomatoes , 1 cup iceberg lettuce , 2 tbsp olives (black or green), chopped, 2 tbsp gherkins , chopped, 1/4 cup paneer or boiled chicken , cut into pieces, 2 tbsp of onions , (I have not used here) 8-10 cucumber slices, thinly cut  roundels, For the dressing: 1 tbsp honey , 1 tsp olive oil , 1 tsp lemon juice , Salt  to taste, Pepper to taste. Method: In a small bowl, add the ingredients for the dressing. Mix well and set it aside. In another big bowl, tear the lettuce leaves. Cut the cherry tomatoes into half, and add the rest of the ingredients.  Give it a very light ...